A skill is something that you can develop. Executives who took a McKinsey survey said that it was most important to (1) create a shared vision on business priorities, (2) get the team right, and (3) devote time to understanding organizational culture. By becoming competent in the five skills listed below, you increase your ability to be successful in a C-suite role.

It is often said that leaders are not born, they are made. It’s cliché, but it’s true. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos did not develop their companies overnight. Becoming someone like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs takes passion, promise, and persistence. Above all, it takes the essence of a leader. Even if leadership manifests itself in many distinct forms across various disciplines, one thing is certain: No matter what their focus or field may be in, the most respected leaders have these 6 key traits.

Being a leader is a skill that anyone can learn—that is, a learned or acquired ability. It takes desire. It takes extended practice. Above all, it takes action.

Whether you are a teacher, parent, mentor, coach, manager, director, politician, or CEO, anytime you are in a position to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people to accomplish a goal in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a leader. You have a responsibility, even a moral obligation to see to it that you are developing that skill.

As more and more millennials become a part of the existing workforce, a contemporary need to redefine the c-suite emerges, with a requisite to make way for millennial leaders. The paradigm of business hierarchies is shifting, and millennials are uniquely equipped to evolve to such changes.

As a generation bred for innovation, the advantages of hiring millennials for executive roles are unparalleled.

In today’s fast-moving business world driven by constantly evolving technology, doing more of the same is a recipe for disaster. Over the past twenty years, more than 50% of Fortune 500 companies have been acquired, merged, or declared bankruptcy. Organizations face bigger threats—and from a wider range of competitors—than ever before.